He described how deeply affected he had been by Dr Kelly’s death as a

He described how “deeply affected” he had been by Dr Kelly’s death “as a result of a series of events that, in the end, I set in train”.The papers show that such was the worry about dissension in the intelligence services becoming public that the Defence Secretary, Geoff Hoon, became involved in plans to block officials from giving evidence to an inquiry by MPs. We shall strongly fight our corner.”Among the 900 documents put on the internet by the Hutton inquiry on Saturday was an e-mail from Kevin Marsh, the editor of Radio 4’s Today programme, which first broadcast the claim that the Government had “sexed up” the weapons dossier. I feel strongly that if the BBC reporting continues as it is, it will become a public controversy.” Mr Sambrook replied: “I note your comment about possible public controversy over our reporting .. If you wish to make this public, so be it. He said: “You may be interested to know the Prime Minister has also expressed real concern about some of the reports he has seen and heard. Alastair Campbell was threatening the BBC with “public controversy” over its Iraq war coverage two months before Andrew Gilligan’s report accused the Government of “sexing up” the weapons dossier.
Newly released documents show that in March, Downing Street and the BBC were drawing up battle lines for the confrontation which preceded the death of Dr David Kelly.In a letter to Richard Sambrook, the BBC’s head of news, Mr Campbell warned of Tony Blair’s displeasure about BBC reporting. And they have also asked for information about allegations that documents relating to Dr Kelly had been shredded by MoD officials.. Mrs Kelly did not even have a copy of his employment contract.They asked the Government to supply a copy of the contract, copies of his personnel file, all documentation regarding the disclosure or confirmation of Dr Kelly’s name and exchange of correspondence between him and his line manager.The family has also asked to see the medical report prepared on Dr Kelly at RAF Honington shortly before he was due to return to Iraq.

Mr Blair agreed that the scientist should give evidence before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee and the Intelligence and Security Committee.The family’s lawyers demanded copies of “any Whitehall protocol” on civil servants appearing before the committees. The letter says that “all Dr Kelly’s papers at home have been seized by Thames Valley police in the course of their inquiries to the coroner”. “In the same Independent report a government source, later revealed to Tom Kelly, one of the Prime Minister’s two official spokesmen, described the scientist as a “Walter Mitty” type fantasist.The letter says: “In order to better understand the situation, guide the family through this traumatic time and forewarn them of possible revelations about Dr Kelly, which they will otherwise learn for the first time from the media, I need to see the paperwork relating to Dr Kelly and to which the Government clearly has access.”The Hutton inquiry has heard evidence that Mr Blair, Alastair Campbell, his director of communications and strategy, and Geoff Hoon, the Secretary of State for Defence, were among those involved in making Dr Kelly’s identity public. Dr Kelly was being investigated for his contact with journalists long before the current difficulties … For example, may I refer you to the leading article on page 1 of The Independent of Monday 4th August where .. it is asserted that … There is, therefore, a danger that the public will prejudge the issues on the basis of the selective information filtered out through so-called ’sources’.”The letter, by Peter Jacobsen, of solicitors Bircham Dyson Bell, states: “I am aware of press reports quoting unnamed MoD spokesmen. should like to know on whose authority it is being done.”Obviously Dr Kelly has now been the subject of criticism in the media without the facts firstly having been established by Lord Hutton.

The letter pointedly notes: “On the one hand the Government for every good reason is calling for restraint … The distress felt by David Kelly’s family at what they saw as a systematic campaign of denigration against him by the Government is revealed for the first time in documents released by the Hutton inquiry.
Lawyers acting for the scientist’s wife and daughters wrote to the Treasury Solicitor accusing Downing Street of hypocrisy, and asking why he was being subjected to anonymous smears in the days before and even after his death.In the aftermath of Dr Kelly’s apparent suicide, Tony Blair called for a period of “restraint”. In that case, we should take the line set out above, that like any other assessment, the precise wording and content of the dossier was subject to vigorous debate between intelligence community analysts.”. Copies went to John Scarlett, the chairman of JIC, and Sir David Omand, the Prime Minister’s intelligence co-ordinator.Mr Howard recommends Mr Hoon should agree that: “We should resist any calls from the ISC to disclose the identity of the individuals concerned, call them as witnesses or have access to their written comments to line management.”It continues: “ISC evidence sessions are private, but it is possible that this may leak. But it was agreed by the JIC (Joint Intelligence Committee).”On 19 July, Martin Howard, deputy chief of defence intelligence, laid out a strategy to stop the Intelligence and Security Committee from talking to disaffected agents in a memorandum to Mr Hoon. “These concerns related to the foreword, executive summary and main text.”The document shows the crucial claim that Iraq would be able to launch chemical and biological attacks within “45 minutes” had been hardened up in the executive summary and foreword of the dossier.”The (intelligence) personnel concerned did not share this judgement.